Proposing and testing the pathways from bullying victimization to bringing a weapon to school

Objective: The current study examined whether bullying victimization was associated with bringing a weapon to school, fully or partly mediated by feeling unsafe in school, negative future education orientation, and skipping school. Method: Data from 6199 students (12–18 years old), who had filled out the 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, were analyzed. Results: The results showed a positive association between bullying victimization and bringing a weapon to school. The link was both direct and indirect through the mediating roles of feeling unsafe in school, having a negative future education orientation, and skipping school. Conclusion: Thus, victims of bullying tended to feel unsafe in school, have a negative future education orientation, and skip school—all of which were positively associated with bringing a weapon to school.